Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Will Grier's pursuit of one final NFL opportunity has come to an unexpected end, as the QB announced his retirement at the age of 31 after playing for seven seasons in the NFL.

Grier signed with the Carolina Panthers after the Cowboys waived him in March. He was a third-string backup for quarterback Dak Prescott before the Cowboys signed Sam Howell.

“Former Cowboys QB Will Grier has retired,” Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com reported via X post on July 15.

The Panthers selected Grier in the third round (No. 100) of the 2019 NFL Draft.

He was signed primarily to serve as QB3 for the Panthers behind quarterbacks Cam Newton and Kyle Allen, and made his debut in the league in the Week 16 game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2019.

He completed 28 of 52 passes attempted (53.8%) for 228 yards and four interceptions across two games played with the Panthers in the 2019 season.

Since then, he has signed with the Cowboys (played backup to QB Cooper Rush for five games), the Cincinnati Bengals, the New England Patriots, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Philadelphia Eagles, mostly serving as a practice squad member.

Grier signed with the Cowboys for a second stint in November 2024 but did not make the roster, after which he signed with the Panthers again in April 2026.

Now, with the training camp less than two weeks away, he announced his retirement, as the Panthers have veteran quarterback Kenny Pickett and rookie Haynes King behind starter Bryce Young.

That means Grier announced his retirement after seven seasons in the league, having the opportunity to start only two games.

“Will Grier came back to his hometown team three months ago, but his comeback won't continue into training camp,” Darin Gantt of Panthers.com wrote. “The veteran quarterback has chosen to retire. The Panthers placed him on the reserve/retired list on Wednesday.”

Grier's sudden retirement announcement comes after he denied a coaching staff job offered by the Cowboys' head coach Brian Schottenheimer, as he wanted to continue his NFL career.

The Cowboys wanted Will Grier back, but not as a quarterback

According to Joseph Person of The Athletic, the Cowboys wanted Grier back with the franchise as a coaching staff member with Schottenheimer before he was offered to sign with the Panthers as a third-string quarterback.

“Man, there’s not a huge chance you’re gonna play [in Carolina] this year," Grier's dad, Chad, said, per Joseph Person of The Athletic. "But there’s zero chance you get to play if you’re coaching. So I would say you stay in that league as a player as long as you possibly can. You have the rest of your life to coach.”

Grier's father, Chad Grier, wanted his son to give his football career one last chance, as he believed coaching jobs could wait, while the NFL opportunity should not be missed.

Now that Grier has retired, the coaching opportunity he passed on could become the next path for him, given his familiarity with the Cowboys franchise and Schottenheimer.

What are your thoughts on Grier making this bold decision? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Archana Ramakrishnan

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar